[Peace-discuss] On Human Rights Day, Urge Obama to Put Diplomacy First (great petition!)

[Jenifer Cartwright]

Hey Guys, this is really great. A few clicks, a little typing, and yr conscience gets a little break! And if enuff of these things arrive in Obama's inbox, who know... It just might do some good!
Please forward widely.
 --Jenifer 

--- On Wed, 12/10/08, Just Foreign Policy <info at justforeignpolicy.org> wrote:

From: Just Foreign Policy <info at justforeignpolicy.org>
Subject: On Human Rights Day, Urge Obama to Put Diplomacy First
To: "Jenifer Cartwright" <jencart13 at yahoo.com>
Date: Wednesday, December 10, 2008, 3:45 PM






















On Human Rights Day, Urge Obama to Put Diplomacy First




Dear Jenifer,
Today, December 10, is the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

President-elect Obama has asked Americans to share with him our vision of positive change. We're taking President-elect Obama up on his offer and we hope you'll join us. We're sending him our proposals for a just foreign policy, based on real diplomacy and respect for human rights. 

Please join us in urging President-elect Obama to follow through quickly on his promise of change, and to put diplomacy and the protection of human rights at the center of our foreign policy.

http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/involved/HumanRightsDay.html 

Big media are urging President-elect Obama not to follow through on his promise of change. As Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting notes, "Corporate media are cheering what they suggest are signs that President-elect Barack Obama will break his campaign promise and defy both U.S. and Iraqi public opinion to keep combat troops in Iraq for longer than his 16-month withdrawal timetable." [1] These voices don't want Obama to follow through on his pledge to engage Iran without pre-conditions, his promise to end Bush's torture policy, his promise to close the prison at Guantanamo.

Meanwhile, USA Today reports that Gen. McKiernan has asked for more than 20,000 more US soldiers, and says U.S. troop levels of 55,000 to 60,000 in Afghanistan will be needed for "at least three or four more years." [2] As Norman Solomon notes, "the conventional wisdom is that higher U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan are absolutely necessary." [3] Kai Eide, top UN official in Afghanistan, warns that Western leaders are ignoring the demands of the Afghan people. [4]

Human Rights Watch says the policies of the U.S. are exacerbating the crisis in Somalia. "The United States, treating Somalia primarily as a battlefield in the 'global war on terror,' has pursued a policy of uncritical support for transitional government and Ethiopian actions, and the resulting lack of accountability has fueled the worst abuses," Human Rights Watch said. [5]

Urge President-elect Obama to follow through quickly on his promise of change.

http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/involved/HumanRightsDay.html 

Thank you for all you do to help bring about a just foreign policy.

Robert Naiman, Chelsea Mozen, and Sarah Burns
Just Foreign Policy

Please support our work. 
We need your financial support to keep doing what we do.
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/donate.html 

References:
[1] "Creating an Iraq Flip-Flop? Media root for Obama to reject withdrawal timeline," Media Advisory, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, 12/5/08
[2] "Commander sees 'tough fight' in Afghan war," Tom Vanden Brook, USA Today, December 7, 2008
[3] "The Silent Winter of Escalation," Norman Solomon, Common Dreams, December 8, 2008
[4] "Official Calls for Sensitivity to Afghan Demands," Kirk Semple, New York Times, December 8, 2008
[5] "Rights group: US making Somalia crisis worse," Elizabeth A. Kennedy, AP, December 8, 2008



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